This invention relates to a connector having the function of double retaining of metal terminals by a retainer, and more particularly to a connector having the function of urging half-inserted metal terminals into a proper fully-inserted position in accordance with the insertion of the retainer.
There are known connectors having a double retaining function to be performed by a retainer. In such a connector as shown in FIG. 7, when a metal terminal c is inserted into a terminal receiving hole b in a housing a from a rear end thereof, an elastic retaining pawl d formed on an upper wall of the terminal receiving hole b is elastically deformed by this inserted metal terminal. Then, when the metal terminal reaches a fully-inserted position at the inner end of the terminal receiving hole, the retaining pawl d is received in a retaining recess e, formed in the upper surface of the metal terminal c, due to its own resilient restoring force, thereby effecting a first-stage retaining in a withdrawing direction. Then, when a retainer f, inserted into a provisionally-retained position from a lower side of the housing a in a manner to generally divide the housing, is pushed in a direction of an arrow to be retained in a completely-retained position, a retaining step a formed on the retainer f is received in a recess h formed in a lower surface of the metal terminal c, thereby effecting a second-stage retaining.
In such a connector, the metal terminal c is inserted while elastically deforming the retaining pawl d, as described above, and therefore a considerable load is perceived halfway, and despite the fact that the metal terminal has not yet reached the fully-inserted position, the inserting operation is often stopped under a mistake of facts in a partially-inserted position as indicated in a broken line in FIG. 7.
If such a situation is encountered, even when the retainer f is pushed, the retaining step q is abutted against the lower surface of the metal terminal c, so that the retainer can not be inserted. In this case, the operator becomes aware of the partially-inserted condition of the metal terminal c, and it is necessary for the operator to once retract the retainer f, to re-insert the metal terminal c into the fully-inserted position, and then to again push the retainer f. However, since many metal terminals c have been inserted, it is not easy to find the partially-inserted terminal among these terminals. And besides, such partially-inserted metal terminal is not always one, and in an extreme case, all of the metal terminals must be re-inserted, thus inviting a disadvantage that an extremely troublesome operation must be done.
It is known from experiences that the metal terminal c is held in the partially-inserted condition mainly because the retaining step q of the retainer f interferes with an end edge of a main portion i.